The First Day of Spring
by M-dog14NCISgeek
Summary: This is the budding relationship of Albert and Rosie. It's set before the events of Bye Bye Birdie!
1. New Job

**I'm in love with Bye Bye Birdie! We did it in the Spring of 2013 at my high school. I became fascinated with the Rose/Albert relationship as so many people do. :)**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

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Rose Alvarez was fresh out of high school when she got her first job. She was a secretary at a law office in Pittsburg. Her boss was a much older man of about sixty or so. That man also happened to be her grandfather, Diego Azarola. When he died four years later Rose's father, Leon Alvarez, took over the company. She and her father had never seen eye to eye and it was there, at twenty-two, that Ms. Rose Alvarez was back on the market for a job. The first few places took one look at her and turned her away on the account that she was of Spanish decent. One of her friends from high school, Mary Delancy, had just been hired by a man named Albert J. Peterson when she called Rose about the good news.  
"He's not much to look at and he told me it's a one year only position, but Rose it's a shot! We could be picked up by bigger and better people out there!" Mary exclaimed.  
"Oh, alright. I'll see if Mr. Peterson approves of me," Rose said, a bit discouraged after her last meeting. Rose drove those three and a half hours to Mary's small apartment.  
"Don't worry, I already made your interview for tomorrow at eight," Mary reassured her friend.  
"Thank you, Mary. I just hope it's worth both of our time," Rose replied, hoping that this would be the job.  
"I've already got the phones, and keeping track of all of his appointments and clients. He's just looking for someone to run his errands and file paperwork, but I know that went to interviews for worse," Mary said, giving Rose a look.  
"I just needed to get out of my father's office," Rose snapped before softening, "you know how he is."  
"I understand," Mary told Rose, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "but this will give you a whole new city to work in." Rose gave her friend a hug, thanked her again for the opportunity, before turning in for the night. The next day, the two women arrive at the Almaelou building at seventy forty-five sharp. Mary got to work answering the early morning phones, while Rose sat and waited for Mr. Peterson to call her in for her interview.  
Mary's phone rang. It was Mr. Peterson. "He'll see you now," Mary told her, "best of luck." Mary smiled and Rose returned it, though nervously. The man didn't even want to leave his office to tell her he was ready for the interview. She had the suspicion that she was NOT going to get the job. She opened the door to find a man in his mid-twenties combing his desk for something.  
"Hello, Mr. Peterson. I'm Rose Alvarez here for the job interview," Rose told him confidently.  
"Hello, Ms. Alvarez. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I seem to have lost an important document that needs to be done. Taxes, you know," he said, though he seemed to be masking his true feelings of anxiety.  
"Is there anything you would like me to do? Check a certain drawer, perhaps?" Rose asked, trying to be helpful.  
"There's this filing cabinet over here," Mr. Peterson said as he walked over to an old grey filing cabinet, "I could've misfiled it somewhere." Rose walked over to the cabinet and started searching through the bottom drawer as Mr. Peterson searched through the top. She looked through everything quite quickly until she came upon the document labeled "Tax Form".  
"Um, Mr. Peterson. I think I've found it here," Rose said. She looked up as he stooped down to retrieve it. Her heart stopped. Mary had gotten his description all wrong. Here was a man, tall, lean, and... handsome. She was shaken from her daze when Mr. Peterson addressed her.  
"Uh, Ms. Alvarez? Could I have my form please?" He wasn't upset in the least. Really he sounded grateful, yet embarrassed.  
"Oh! Yes," Rose exclaimed, giving him the form. She stood up, blushing. She mentally scolded herself for getting distracted like that.  
I don't think I'll be needing an interview," Mr. Peterson told her.  
"Oh... I guess it's a no, then?" Rose said, her heart falling.  
"No! Dear me, of course not!" Mr. Peterson rushed to explain, "I've been looking for that file off and on for days and here you found it in a matter of minutes! No, Ms. Alvarez, I would be happy to hire you." Rose beamed.  
You mean it? Oh thank you, Mr. Peterson! You won't regret it!" Rose assured him.  
"I shall give you your first schedule by, say, tomorrow?" Mr. Peterson mused.  
"Perfect. I'll be happy to start right away," Rose told him.  
"Good," he replied, nodding, "then I'll see you tomorrow at eight."

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	2. Not Much of a Flower Person

**Albert's POV. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Albert Peterson didn't like flowers very much. In fact, they bored him to pieces. His father, according to his mother, had loved them, but Albert just didn't see the appeal. When his receptionist, Mary had told him that she had a friend to fill his other position he was thrilled. He asked her name and was a bit dismayed that she was named after the flowers that he liked the least. Roses. Albert had hated- no, hate was too strong of a word- disliked roses since he was young. One, every rose had thorns. Obviously it's a little hard to enjoy a flower that pricks you. Two, they were the symbol for love. Not that Albert was against love, no! He- well- loved love, but he had always been that awkward and shy kid at the back of the room during Valentine's Day. No one ever though about him in such a way to bring him flowers. Roses made him feel uncomfortable.  
The day she stepped into the room, Albert was frazzled. He meant to find the document- yesterday he really did! He just, well, sort of... forgot. Forgot wasn't the right word, no. He had gotten distracted- yes distracted was the word- from his pursuit by his mother. Now there he was, still searching for the tax form at eight. He sighed and phoned Mary, telling her to send in Ms. Alvarez. He didn't mean for it to seem rude, he was just hoping for a few extra minutes to search his desk again. He had still not located it by the time she entered the room and said, "Hello, Mr. Peterson. I'm Rose Alvarez here for the job interview." He had to play it cool. He didn't want her to think he was always like this, because of course he wasn't, was he?  
"Hello, Ms. Alvarez. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I seem to have lost an important document that needs to be done. Taxes, you know," he said trying to seem natural.  
"Is there anything you would like me to do? Check a certain drawer, perhaps?" Ms. Alvarez asked. She seemed helpful enough.  
"There's this filing cabinet over here," Albert said as he walked over to his filing cabinet, "I could've misfiled it somewhere." Ms. Alvarez followed him and started searching through the bottom drawer as Albert searched through the top. He rifled through every document and was starting to get frantic when she caught his attention.  
"Um, Mr. Peterson. I think I've found it here," Ms. Alvarez said. He stooped down to retrieve it. He paused. She was beautiful. More beautiful than any woman that he had ever seen in his whole life. He drank in her features and inwardly sighed. If only he could get a girl like that to even like him, let alone love him. He tried to take the document, but she was firmly gripping it.  
"Uh, Ms. Alvarez? Could I have my form please?" he said awkwardly. Embarrassed that he had stared at her for so long.  
"Oh! Yes," Ms. Alvarez exclaimed, giving him the form. She stood up and he was glad she was turned away, because he could feel himself turning red.  
I don't think I'll be needing an interview," Albert told her.  
"Oh... I guess it's a no, then?" Ms. Alvarez said. He could hear her disappointment and realized his mistake.  
"No! Dear me, of course not!" Albert rushed to explain, "I've been looking for that file off and on for days and here you found it in a matter of minutes! No, Ms. Alvarez, I would be happy to hire you." Ms. Alvarez beamed.  
You mean it? Oh thank you, Mr. Peterson! You won't regret it!" She assured him.  
"I shall give you your first schedule by, say, tomorrow?" Albert mused.  
"Perfect. I'll be happy to start right away," Ms. Alvarez told him.  
"Good," he replied, nodding, "then I'll see you tomorrow at eight." She left, all smiles. As soon as she closed the door he collapsed into his chair. He knew she would be good for the job, but would he be able to handle such a beautiful woman being around? Albert could never imagine moving out of Mama's house. And Lou... Lou would miss him too much. Mama would be crushed. No, Albert decided, he would never disappoint his mother like that.

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	3. As The Flower Grows

**No copyright infringement intended.**

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Rose had been working for Albert for over two years now and they had started to realize each other's feelings. They made Albert nervous, but they made Rose delighted. She was always discouraged though when Albert crumpled under his mother.  
"Albert, it has been over two years now," Rose reminded him, "didn't you say you were going back to college after a year?" She wanted bigger and better things for him. Rose knew Albert needed the change in his life, but she also new he wouldn't- for his mother's sake.  
"I can't, Ms. Alvarez. Mama would die if I told her," Albert said nervously.  
"It's been more than two years now, Albert, you can call me by my first name," Rose said huffily.  
"It just seems- well, you know- unprofessional," Albert told her. Rose sighed and went back to her work. Hoping sooner or later Albert would pluck up the courage to face his mother.  
"I don't see why your mother wouldn't be proud of you going back to school. Teaching english is a noble profession," Rose told him.  
"I'm successful now and Mama would never understand why I want to give it up to be a teacher," Albert explained. Rose rolled her eyes.  
"One day, Albert, you're going to have to stand up to your mother. You're twenty-six! It's time to set your own path," Rose implored him. Albert, however, would not back down.  
It was almost two before either of them realized they had missed lunch. Rose had been in a foul mood since their discussion and Albert was painstakingly trying to write another song. Rose was the first to notice.  
"Oh, Albert! I forgot to pick up lunch," she said apologetically, "I'll go get that right away. Is your usual okay? Yes, I'll pick that up." Albert didn't get a single word in, but he decided it didn't matter. He would've taken his usual anyway. Just as Rose was grabbing her purse, Mae Peterson stomped through the door. She looked Rose up and down.  
"Who are you?" she spat.  
"Hello again, Mrs. Peterson. I'm Rose Alvarez. Albert's secretary?" Rose reintroduced herself... again.  
"Oh, Rose. Yes," Mae said curtly, "where are you galavanting off to? Doesn't my Sonny Boy need you to file paperwork?"  
"Normally I would be doing that at this hour, but it seems the two of us lost track of time. I'm off to get our late lunch," Rose explained.  
"Lunch! At this hour? My Sonny Boy is probably starved to death!" Mae exclaimed as she turned to Albert's office, "I'm coming Sonny!" She charged into the office and Rose made a quick getaway to the bakery down the street. She knew Mae would still be there when she got back- but a girl can always dream.

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**What an old hag! :P**

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